Stalin files nomination for DMK president’s post, likely to be elected unopposed

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president MK Stalin on Sunday filed his nomination for the party president’s post and is likely to be elected unopposed at the general council meeting on August 28.

DMK president M Karunanidhi, who had passed away on August 7, had already announced Stalin, his younger son, would be his successor.

At the DMK’s executive meeting on August 14 - the first after Karunanidhi’s death -, senior leaders had requested Stalin to take charge, saying he had all the qualities to succeed his father.

Meanwhile, DMK principal secretary Duraimurugan filed his nomination for the party treasurer’s post and is also likely to not face any rival. The post was being held by Stalin since 2008.

Both had met DMK general secretary K Anbazhagan, a close aide of Karunanidhi, in the morning before filing their nominations.

Asked about to the development, MK Azhagiri, Karunanidhi’s estranged son who was expelled from the DMK in 2014 but now is seen making a pitch for party leadership, told news agency ANI: “What do I do? You want me to go and propose his name? We will see what to do when bypolls are announced.”

A day before the DMK’s August 14 meeting, Azhagiri had claimed to have the support of the loyalists of his late father and spoke cryptically about differences with the “party” and not the “family” .

First Published: Aug 26, 2018 13:27 IST